Gary W. Anderson

March 6, 1947 - September 25, 2020

Gary was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 6th, 1947, to Eleanor and Otto W. Anderson. Gary moved with his family in September of 1947 to Oregon, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on September 4th, 1966 and served Active Duty during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Preble, beginning August 8th, 1967, where he was selected as a member of the Anti-submarine rocket team. Gary was honorably discharged as a Petty Officer 3rd Class Sonar Tech on November 10th, 1968. In 1971, Gary graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication. While attending OSU, he actively volunteered his summers with the Teen Corps in support of the underprivileged. His last two summers with the Teen Corps were spent building roads, bridges and community centers for the poor in Appalachia. Gary married Diane K. Schindler on November 24th, 1973 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They had five boys together; Shane, Ryan, Daniel, Michael, and Christopher. Gary supported his family in a career consisting of Insurance and Real Estate investments. He always had a positive attitude and taught his boys “Anderson’s stick together”. Gary enjoyed golf, basketball, making Sunday morning pancakes with his boys and dancing with his wife, Diane, particularly on their anniversary, in which they would both dress up in their wedding attire. He was a creative writer and composed many songs. Gary was a member of the Elks for several years and in 2008 was appointed Exalted Ruler of the Elks McMinnville Lodge. Gary is survived by his wife Diane, four of his five children, Shane, Ryan, Daniel, and Michael; five grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.